DETROIT (AP) – General Motors is recalling more than 29,000 Chevrolet Cruze compact cars because metal parts in the air bag assemblies can hit the driver and passengers if the bags are inflated.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the cars, from the 2013 and 2014 model years, were built with an incorrect baffle, and that can cause the air bag inflator to rupture if the bags are deployed. If that happens, metal fragments could hit people in the car, and the air bags may not inflate to protect them.

The air bags were built by Japanese parts supplier Takata Corp., but the problem is different from another air bag issue that’s causing big recalls across the auto industry.

Ohio’s governor says a Chinese company will build an automotive glass plant in southwest Ohio, bringing up to 800 jobs and revitalizing a former General Motors factory site.

Gov. John Kasich announced Friday the agreement with Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. along with company and development officials in Columbus. The company is making a $200 million investment at the site in Moraine, near Dayton.

State officials say the plant is expected to begin operations in late 2015. The General Motors assembly plant employed 1,100 workers when it closed in late 2008.

Click the link at the top of the page to listen to the story from Statehouse News Bureau corespondent Jo Ingles.

Earlier this week, the company that makes Jeeps criticized a Mitt Romney campaign ad, airing in Ohio, as misleading. Now, a SECOND automaker is saying the same thing about another Romney ad. The arguments are over new auto jobs and where theyâ€™re being created.

Click the play button above to hear a full report from Ohio Public Radio’s Bill Cohen.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/11/01/second-auto-company-denounces-romney-ad/feed/1Campaign 2012,chrysler,election,general motors,gm,Jeep,mitt romney,ohioFirst it was Jeep/Chrysler saying a Mitt Romney ad airing in Ohio was misleading. Now General Motors is criticizing an ad they say misleads voters into thinking GM is moving jobs overseas.First it was Jeep/Chrysler saying a Mitt Romney ad airing in Ohio was misleading. Now General Motors is criticizing an ad they say misleads voters into thinking GM is moving jobs overseas.WOSU Newsno4:04“Un-American” Comment Garners Criticism And Support For Mandelhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/08/31/un-american-comment-garners-criticism-and-support-for-mandel/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/08/31/un-american-comment-garners-criticism-and-support-for-mandel/#commentsFri, 31 Aug 2012 11:59:39 +0000Jo Ingleshttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=34605

Republican Josh Mandel's comment that Sen. Sherrod Brown's support of the auto industry bailout was "un-American" is bringing out veterans on both sides of the debate.

Some Ohio veterans are speaking out against Republican U.S. Senate candidate and fellow veteran Josh Mandel for reportedly calling his opponentâ€™s vote for the auto bailout â€œun-American.â€

But some veterans backing Mandel are fighting back.

The Republican candidate and current state treasurer recently told editors and reporters for the Columbus Dispatch he doesnâ€™t toss the word un-American around often, but “stripping Delphi employees of their pensions with that vote: that is un-American.”

Mandel made the comment while talking about his opponent, Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brownâ€™s vote to bail out the auto industry, a move that Brown and others credit for saving 850,000 jobs in Ohio.

I think it reflects badly on him, and frankly as a soldier and a fellow veteran, Iâ€™m embarrassed by his choice of words. I think it reflects immaturity and poor judgment on his part to use that term. Itâ€™s inflammatory.

Retired Army Brigadier General Sam Kindred is also upset about Mandelâ€™s use of the word â€œun-American.”

Kindred says when it comes to serving the military and veterans, Sherrod Brown has a perfect service record.

“You canâ€™t fight a war just at the tactical level. Youâ€™ve got to have someone to get the resources and thatâ€™s what he does and he does it very well. Perfectly.”

Mandelâ€™s campaign ads stress his military background. But Laich says Brown, who is not a veteran, has the right kind of experience for the job.

“The manning that we are trying to do today is not in Iraq or Afghanistan at the tactical level. Itâ€™s at the national strategic level- the national security level where Senator Sherrod Brown is the veteran.”

Retired Marine Colonel Harry Prestanski disagrees. He say Mandel understands the number one need of veterans right nowâ€¦..the need for jobs.

“Because an enlisted man does not necessarily have all of the experience in Washington D.C., sometimes I think that experience in Washington D.C. blinds what is really needed and sometimes I think our generals are too close to those situations,” says Pretanski, a Mandel supporter.

Thatâ€™s what veterans today are facing today. And Josh Mandel understands that. He was discharged from the service and we also have a number of military people who are going to be discharged. Sequestration right now is going to be a major problem.

Bruce Gump, another Mandel supporter, leads a group of 5000 former non-union Delphi employees who he says found themselves on the losing end of the auto bailout.

“The UAW has their full pensions and almost all of their health care and some life insurance, the IOE and the steelworkers had their full pensions restored plus they had some health care and life insurance.”

But the salaried group was completely left out and kicked to the curb by the Obama administration.

Gump wants the non-union employees pensions to be restored and heâ€™s hoping, if Mandel is elected, he will support legislation to do that.

But backers of Brown say if Mandel is elected, he will strip money away from Medicare and many of the programs veterans rely on. Brown has also pushed for a federal inquiry into the possible loss of Delphi pensions.

The race between Mandel and Brown remains close: the last Quinnipiac University poll has Brown leading 46 percent to 41 percent.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/08/31/un-american-comment-garners-criticism-and-support-for-mandel/feed/0auto bailout,Barack Obama,Campaign 2012,delphi,general motors,gm,Josh Mandel,pensions,president obama,senate,Sherrod Brown,veteransRepublican Josh Mandel's comment that Sen. Sherrod Brown's support of the auto industry bailout was "un-American" is bringing out veterans on both sides of the debate.Republican Josh Mandel's comment that Sen. Sherrod Brown's support of the auto industry bailout was "un-American" is bringing out veterans on both sides of the debate.WOSU Newsno3:20President Swings Through Ohio To Tout Auto Bailouthttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/07/05/president-swings-through-ohio-to-tout-auto-bailout/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/07/05/president-swings-through-ohio-to-tout-auto-bailout/#commentsThu, 05 Jul 2012 12:52:38 +0000The Associated Presshttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=31453

President Obama will be in Northeast Ohio today to start a two-day bus tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania.

President Barack Obama departs on a two-day bus tour of Ohio and Pennsylvania on Thursday, defending his economic policies and his decision to rescue U.S. automakers while raising questions about Republican Mitt Romney’s business record.

Mr. Obama’s 250-mile “Betting on America” bus tour is taking him through several northern Ohio communities where he received strong support in 2008. The tour also will take him into western Pennsylvania, with a stop in Pittsburgh.

Obama has released new advertising questioning Romney’s commitment to keeping jobs in America while pointing to his decision to rescue U.S. automakers, a major employer in Ohio.

Republicans are dispatching Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty to some of the same towns along Obama’s tour to offer a rebuttal.

One the President’s Thursday stops will come in the city of Parma, where he’s expected to use the city as an example of success by the U.S. auto bailout. Click the play button above for more details from WKSU’s Kevin Niedermier.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/07/05/president-swings-through-ohio-to-tout-auto-bailout/feed/0auto bailout,cleveland,general motors,gm,northeast Ohio,obama,parma,presidentPresident Obama will be in Northeast Ohio today to start a two-day bus tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania.President Obama will be in Northeast Ohio today to start a two-day bus tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania.WOSU Newsno3:45GM Closure Another Blow To Mansfieldhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2010/05/03/gm-closure-another-blow-to-mansfield/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2010/05/03/gm-closure-another-blow-to-mansfield/#commentsMon, 03 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000Sam Hendrenhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2010/05/03/gm-closure-another-blow-to-mansfield/

For much of the 20th century, the city of Mansfield was an industrial giant. But that has changed. Things began to unravel in the 1970s as manufacturing there began grinding to a halt. The latest blow to the area came early this year when the nearby General Motors plant shut down.

For much of the 20th century, the city of Mansfield was an industrial giant. But that has changed. Things began to unravel in the 1970s as manufacturing there began grinding to a halt. The latest blow to the area came early this year when the nearby General Motors plant shut down. Sam Hendren visited Mansfield and reports on a city in transition.

There was a time when Mansfield was a wealthy city; its economy buoyed by heavy manufacturing. That was in the 1960s. Mansfield Chamber of Commerce President Kevin Nestor says back then:

“Mansfield had the 3rd highest per capita income of any city in the United States between 25,000 and 50,000 in population.”

The reminders of that era remain. The dominant structure near Mansfield’s downtown is the old Westinghouse factory. It spreads over several city blocks. But it’s sagging, its metal sides rusting, windows are broken or empty. It symbolizes lost jobs and lost paychecks.

“Today we’re below the average per capita income for Ohio and Ohio is below the national per capita income,” says the Chambers Kevin Nestor.

In recent decades, companies like Westinghouse that had made Mansfield an industrial powerhouse began a slow exodus. It was a story that was playing out across the region. 40 years ago half of Mansfield’s jobs were in manufacturing; now less than a quarter of them are.

“So yes we have seen a decline and again that’s one of those changes that’s not affecting just us but we’ve been hard hit,” Nestor says.

Mansfield suffered its latest blow when it got word that General Motors was shutting down. The massive parts stamping plant had operated in the neighboring city of Ontario since the mid 1950s. Paul Williams, an electrician at the plant for 40 years, recalls the day that the closing was announced.

“They shut everything down. We all went over to a big staging area. There was a lot of disbelief looks and I don’t believe they actually believed what they heard,” Williams said.

In spite of pleas from Gov. Ted Strickland and Sen. Sherrod Brown, GM’s decision was final. The Ontario plant halted production in February, putting 600 people out of work. Now Paul Williams is one of only a hundred or so employees remaining. They’re only there to pack up the plant’s equipment and ship it to other GM facilities.

“It’s depressing when I go in there and I look at this building becoming a huge empty space. By June or July mostly everything that’s going to be out of there will be tore down and set off to the side ready to be shipped,” Williams says.

Some of the employees like Williams were old enough to retire from GM. Others had the option of taking buyouts that the company offered. Still others were able to transfer to other GM facilities. But the closure of the plant has had a trickle down effect on the local economy. Khyme Thomas felt the loss at her job.

“I used to work for a food restaurant out that way so that affects us too, if they’re closed a lot of other places end up closing too because we get a lot of our business from GM. But now, it’s like dead out there. Sad to say but it is. We feel it,” Thomas says.

The office of the Richland County Job and Family Services feels it, too. The county’s unemployment stands at 13.5 percent. And demand for services has been rising. Lori Bedson helps direct the Richland County Job and Family Services office. She says 20,000 people in the county now receive food stamps. That’s a 30 percent increase just in the past year.

“We have felt a strain,” Bedson says. “We’ve had to revamp or redesign the way we operate. As a result of I’m sure General Motors and the ripple effect that that’s had on the community with smaller businesses that were tied to General Motors.”

Local charities are also dealing with increased demand. Major Markus Jugenheimer heads the Mansfield Salvation Army. He says the resources of his organization have been strained as more and more families ask for assistance. For example Jugenheimer says Food Pantry assistance has increased 30 percent during each of the past two years.

“Through the Salvation Army food pantry program in Mansfield last year we served over 87,000 meals to families in need. We also provided 293 families assistance with their utility bills, and 88 families’ assistance with rent,” Jugenheimer says.

At the Richland County Job and Family Services Office, there’s a center that’s been helping about 150 people a day look for work. Jason McManes runs the OneStop Employment and Training Center where the unemployed have access to copy, scanner and fax machines as well as computer stations specially set up to help them find jobs.

“You can see it’s a typical computer station,” McManes says. “Each station has a phone, a phone book; each computer is loaded with resume maker software, basic Office, Word, Excel. They all have internet access. We have staff here on site to help write resumes and critique resumes. Everything here is at no cost to individuals as long as it’s employment or training related.” For now, area officials are hoping that they can find a buyer for the GM plant and that the site will return to manufacturing.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2010/05/03/gm-closure-another-blow-to-mansfield/feed/0bedson,county,family,gm,job,jugenheimer,mansfield,mcmanes,motors,nestor,onestop,ontarioFor much of the 20th century, the city of Mansfield was an industrial giant. But that has changed. Things began to unravel in the 1970s as manufacturing there began grinding to a halt. The latest blow to the area came early this year when the nearby...For much of the 20th century, the city of Mansfield was an industrial giant. But that has changed. Things began to unravel in the 1970s as manufacturing there began grinding to a halt. The latest blow to the area came early this year when the nearby General Motors plant shut down.WOSU Newsno5:15Chrysler Dealers Might Seek Remedy Under State Lawhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/05/15/chrysler-dealers-might-seek-remedy-under-state-law/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/05/15/chrysler-dealers-might-seek-remedy-under-state-law/#commentsFri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000Sam Hendrenhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/05/15/chrysler-dealers-might-seek-remedy-under-state-law/On Thursday Chrysler announced it was trimming its franchise dealer ranks by about 25 percent around the U.S. The cuts affect more than 3 dozen dealers in Ohio. General Motors is expected to make its own announcement of cuts soon. But Ohio dealers may have some recourse under state law.

]]>On Thursday Chrysler announced it was trimming its franchise dealer ranks by about 25 percent around the U.S. The cuts affect more than 3 dozen dealers in Ohio. General Motors is expected to make its own announcement of cuts soon. But Ohio dealers may have some recourse under state law.

Keith Whann is a Columbus attorney who specializes in auto industry law. He says state law has a provision known as the motor vehicle dealers franchise act which gives certain rights to local dealers.

“Normally what would happen is if a franchiser – GM, Chrysler, whatever – wanted to terminate an existing relationship with a franchisee, there’s a framework under the franchise act that they would have to go through,” Whann says. “The thing that makes this so difficult and unique is that the trimming of the franchise dealer ranks is taking place in a bankruptcy proceeding.”

But what if a dealer chooses to challenge the manufacturer’s decision? Whann says one of the interesting aspects of the situation will be which law prevails – federal bankruptcy law or the state’s franchise protection law

“I sense what is happening is Chrysler is petitioning the bankruptcy court and telling the court. ‘We need to be able to not only trim the company but to trim the dealer ranks to be able to survive financially and that’s part of our plan.’ So it appears as though they may be seeking the approval of the court to say, You have the authority to terminate these franchise relationships.’”

Is there any recourse for a local dealership?

“Well I think there is recourse. Let’s look at it this way. Even assuming that you have the bankruptcy law that is going to prevail, and say the bankruptcy law gives you the opportunity to trim the dealer ranks, I think a dealer could still attempt to overlay Ohio’s franchise dealer statute and say that the way or the method they’ve done it is somehow in an unfair or uneven way.”

“For example, this dealership is getting terminated and this one is not. What’s the rationale that you used to pick that? So I think that there may be the opportunity to utilize some of the protections under Ohio law but you may have to do it overlaying it on the bankruptcy proceedings as a whole,” Whann says.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/05/15/chrysler-dealers-might-seek-remedy-under-state-law/feed/0chrysler,gm,keithOn Thursday Chrysler announced it was trimming its franchise dealer ranks by about 25 percent around the U.S. The cuts affect more than 3 dozen dealers in Ohio. General Motors is expected to make its own announcement of cuts soon.On Thursday Chrysler announced it was trimming its franchise dealer ranks by about 25 percent around the U.S. The cuts affect more than 3 dozen dealers in Ohio. General Motors is expected to make its own announcement of cuts soon. But Ohio dealers may have some recourse under state law.WOSU Newsno2:14Rep. Kilroy Calls For Auto Franchise Trimming Moratoriumhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/05/15/rep-kilroy-calls-for-auto-franchise-trimming-moratorium/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/05/15/rep-kilroy-calls-for-auto-franchise-trimming-moratorium/#commentsFri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000Sam Hendrenhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/05/15/rep-kilroy-calls-for-auto-franchise-trimming-moratorium/Yesterday Chrysler notified dozens of Ohio dealers that their franchises would be terminated. Today General Motors is doing the same thing. Ohio Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy is calling for a one-month delay in the terminations.

]]>Yesterday Chrysler notified dozens of Ohio dealers that their franchises would be terminated. Today General Motors is doing the same thing. Ohio Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy is calling for a one-month delay in the terminations.

In a letter to a treasury official, Democrat Representative Mary Jo Kilroy says closed door, back room decisions to shut down dealerships are not based on credible evidence.

“I have asked the auto industry task force to give us a good reason why this would be a good thing for American auto, for the American economy or for central Ohio and in the meantime to put a moratorium on these dealership closings,” Kilroy says.

The franchise terminations have angered some dealers. George Byers of Byers Chevrolet is adamant that General Motors cannot terminate franchises because, he says, the corporation is not in bankruptcy.

Another GM dealership head, Chris Haydocy, says he’s breathing a sigh of relief because his franchise won’t be pulled. But he says

“The whole thing reeks. Never in the history of the United States has a task force and a manufacturer and a bankruptcy judge decide to arbitrarily shut down thousands of small businesses,” Haydocy says. “It’s a malicious attack on our basic freedoms.

It’s not yet known how many Ohio dealers will lose their affiliations with General Motors.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2009/05/15/rep-kilroy-calls-for-auto-franchise-trimming-moratorium/feed/0chrysler,gm,haydocy,Mary Jo Kilroy,motorsYesterday Chrysler notified dozens of Ohio dealers that their franchises would be terminated. Today General Motors is doing the same thing. Ohio Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy is calling for a one-month delay in the terminations.Yesterday Chrysler notified dozens of Ohio dealers that their franchises would be terminated. Today General Motors is doing the same thing. Ohio Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy is calling for a one-month delay in the terminations.WOSU Newsno2:14